Take my hair down
by BloodUnderBark
Summary: Ino is ill, and with her parents and friends all out of town, there's really only one person to look after her for the night. Temari. Even though its a short visit, a lot of truth is revealed during this one, stormy night. Take my hair down (Rated T for swearing and mild sexual themes.) *Please review! Or don't. I'm not the boss of you. Shika-Tema, not a Shika Ino story. No sir.


Take my hair down.

"I'm very sorry to put this on you, even though you are guests in out village you really are the only one available." Sakura look flustered. "I'd do it myself, but I have a mission. With her parents on vacation and most of her friends on missions, I don't really have a choice."

"Well..." Temari put her hand on her hip. "It wasn't my ideal plan, but sure."

"Thank you, Temari. You're a life saver, she's not that sick so really it's just making sure that she's okay through out the night." Sakura grabbed her bag from the floor. "She'll be happy to have some one there with her."

"Even me?" Temari felt awkward, being an outsider from the Leaf Village.

"Yeah! I don't see why not." Sakura was so innocent. "To be honest, the medication for her illness can make her go a little bat shit crazy sometimes."

"Really?" Temari was surprised.

"Yeah, but they downed the dose of her medication now, it's only a matter of days until her illness disappears. Thank goodness." Sakura pulled her bag over her shoulder. "I hate to see her ill."

"Yeah its a shame.." Temari agreed.

"I'll come by tomorrow morning to see how she is, as soon as you wake up you can go. She'll be fine for a few hours or such if needed." Sakura waved goodbye. "Thanks again, Temari!"

With that, Sakura headed off with her group and disappeared from sight.

Temari sighed, she didn't except do be doing anything like this when she arrived in the Leaf village. She was here for a little time away from Suna, yes, but it was for vacation, not business and not as a care taker. Especially for someone like her. Their past was too conflicting for this to go over smoothly, that much Temari knew. She just hoped that the night wouldn't be total hell. She honestly hoped that by the time she got their, the dumb girl would be passed out from her medication already.

Sadly Temari had no such luck.

_Knock knock_

Temari knocked on the doors, awkwardly swaying, not sure how this next conversation would go over.

_Maybe if I'm lucky she will refuse me, and send me on my way so I get go to my hotel for a good nights rest. _Temari tried to think that it was a possibility.

The door opened slightly at first, a sky blue eye peered though the crack, then the door slowly swung open.

"What do you want?" Her tone was enough to tell Temari that this was not going to be a fun night.

"Nice to see you too." Temari tried her best to shake it off. "Sakura had a last minute mission to go to, you're parents are on vacation and everyone else is busy with missions which means I'm the only person in your village who has time for you right now. I'm just here to make sure you take your medication, get better, and not fall down the fucking stairs."

"I can handle myself." She scoffed in return.

"Hm yeah, that's why you're leaning on the door for support." Temari was trying her best to sound sincere.

She only got a glare in return.

"Ino, please." Temari knew that this was something she had to do, she was a guest in the village after all. "Let me help you."

"Fine." Ino tilted her nose up, just like the brat Temari remembered her as. "Whatever, won't you please come in?"

"Thanks." Temari walked in and tried to be as nice as possible. "It's late already, nice place. Have you eaten?"

"Yeah." Ino held her side. "Have you?"

"Yeah, thanks." Temari admitted to herself that maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

"So pretty much, wake me up at 3 am to take my last dose of medicine. Just.. make sure I get back up to bed." Ino squeezed her side tighter. "I don't need to fall again."

"I know. Are your mussels cramping pretty bad? I heard the medication will do that." Temari eyed her painful look.

"Well, yeah but I'll be fine." Ino sighed. "But I am really tired, walking up at 3 am every day for the past two weeks. I'm going to change into my sleep wear, then it's up to you what we do, I suppose."

Temari watched her struggle up the first two steps. There was a brief moment where Temari considered just turning and walking away, but no matter the past between the two, she was still someone in need of help.

"Here." Temari put her arm around her to support her. "Let me help."

"I don't need you." Ino gave her a look. "I'v done this before."

"Doesn't matter if you did it before. Is it any easier?" Temari helped her up the last two stairs. "Call me down when you are heading down stairs, I'm not about to let you get hurt."

Ino muttered something that Temari didn't catch, but headed into her room none the less.

Temari headed down stairs and into the kitchen. She looked through drawers, but finally found the item she was looking for. She turned the tap on and watched the water fall for a while, waiting of it to be heated up. While waiting, she grabbed a tea towel and laid it out.

Filling up the bag gave her some time to think.

"I wonder what's going to be said tonight." Temari tapped her nail on the counter. "There's so much to be said, but, so far everything seems fine." She prayed it would stay this way until she crept out in the morning.

"What are you doing?"

Ino made her jump, turning the corner into the kitchen.

"Ino! You scared me! How did you get down the stairs?" Temari turned off the tap. "You damn near gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, and I told you I can manage myself." Ino folded her arms. "What's up with the bag of water?" She pointed a finger at what Temari was doing.

"Well, I hope you don't mind but I see your abdominal mussels are cramping, a-and I know a good home remedy for it.." Temari closed the zip lock bag and wrapped the tea towel around it. "It really does help, I'm not going to force you to use it, but... use it."

"Oh well... thanks..." Ino seemed awkward at accepting her help. "I'll get settled in the living room."

They walked quietly over to the living room area, Ino laid out on the couch, rolling to her back as Temari handed her the bag of hot water, the tea towel in place so it wouldn't scold her skin. Temari grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and spread it over her.

It was extremely hard for Temari to wrap her head around the fact that they use to fight so angrily.

~Flash back

"That was a good fight." A much younger Temari giggled, punching a much younger boy.

"Ow." He rubbed his shoulder, "Easy, the fight is over, you don't need to pound me anymore." He laughed.

"What if I want to?" Temari suck her tongue out at him.

"Well then I'll need to get some form of amour, because damn your punches do damage." He yawned, lazy as ever.

"Don't tell me your tired." Temari rolled her eyes. "You hardly even lifted a finger that whole match."

"Please, I did all of the fighting." He smugly noted.

"Oh yeah, that's why I won."

He scratched his head and turned away.

"Yeah you did."

Together they sat in they sat on the lower part of the building roof.

"You know something, I'v never ever seen you with your hair down." Temari turned to him, eyeing his head.

"I never take it down." He shrugged. "But I can say the same for you."

"I never take mine down either. It makes me look like such a girly girl." Temari crossed her legs. "But... I'll take mine down if you take yours down."

"You as a girly girl?" He laughed loudly. "That's something I won't die with out seeing. Deal."

He reached up and pulled the green hair band from his head, letting the long jet black hair fall around his shoulders.

Temari stared at him for a while.

"You look different."

He looked up her, flipping the hair from his eyes. "Hm?" His cheeks became a little pink. "D-Different how?"

"I don't know." Temari shrugged. "Different good."

Now his cheeks became ever more red. "You don't think I look like a girl?"

"Don't be stupid!" Temari poked him. "You look like you."

"Me hu?"

"Yeah and you're pretty damn cute, you know that, Nara?" Temari giggled.

"What? Okay, now your just bugging me you trouble some woman." He slumped over, shyly looking to the ground bellow them.

It was quiet for a heart beat, but in one swift movement he turned to her and placed his hand on the side of her face.

"W-What do you think you're doing kid?" Temari felt her face grow hot under his touch.

"You owe me, remember? Isn't about time..." He leaned in, a little too close for two people just as friends. "You take your hair down?"

"Hey!"

They broke apart at once, a very bruised and broken girl stood on the ground bellow them.

"Just what do you think you two are doing up there?!" She screeched. "Shikamaru, you get your butt down here right now!"

"Ino..." Temari remembered looking down to her, it took everything she had not to spit at her.

From that moment, the two girls looked at one another, their stares locked, and it was clear they would not get along.

End of flash back~

Temari shook her shaky hands a little, in fear that Ino would noticed.

Ino did not, as she was scrolling through the channels on the T.V.

Temari quickly sat down in a chair across from the sofa, turning to the television in hopes it would take her mind off the past. Sadly, it didn't, and she began thinking again. She started recalling memories from when they had just gotten out from the exams, just like the flash back before.

~Flash back

The wind was cold despite the warm weather in the Leaf village.

It was pin drop quiet, other then the whistling of the branches in a near by tree.

She pushed a lose hair behind her ear, and shot a look right into Temari's eyes.

"Listen, Suna girl." Ino put her hand on her hip. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do here."

Temari did nothing but bite her tongue and hold her ground.

"You think you're the only one who hears him talk about you, don't go strutting around my village like you own his heart." Ino paused. "Sasuke is important to me, but Shikamaru is my everything. He always will be, and I won't let you come between us. You hear me?"

"That's not up to you now is it." Temari narrowed her glare. "It's up to me and him. If he would rather like me it's a choice for him to make."

Ino scoffed, and Temari gritted her teeth.

"Please, We've be friends for the longest time, silly girl, do you even know?" Ino rolled her eyes.

"If you've been friends for so long, then why do you feel threatened by me? Someone who's only known him for a week?"

This shut Ino up on the spot, though Temari wasn't done talking.

"And still, I'v seen the way he talks to you, it's nothing like how he talks to me, so pull your head from the clouds!" Temari spat the last words.

"Well... then it looks like you are going to be like Sakura." Ino closed her eyes and turned slightly away from her.

"What?" Temari was confused, she saw the two in battle but really nothing more.

"Me and her have been fighting over Sasuke since we we're kids." Ino looked into Temari's eyes. "And now we'll do the same over Shikamaru. Temari, from now on, you and me are in competition"

The empty field rang quiet. Temari had nothing left to say, nor did Ino. So the two turned and walked in opposite directions.

~End of flash back.

"You hear me?"

"Hm?" Temari jolted up right from her day dream, unaware that Ino had been talking to her as she zoned out.

"I said, do you hear what the weather report said? It's going to be a pretty bad thunderstorm tonight." Ino paused to give her a funny look. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Temari looked over the clock. "It's time for your medicine, I'll get it." She added as Ino began to get up.

"Thanks."

Temari headed into the kitchen, mind still a buzz from those memories. She poured the purple liquid out if the bottle into the small cup and sealed the lid again.

She stared down into the dark fluid.

_What am I doing here... acting so friendly... it's clear there's still such unresolved stuff between us now that... oh, thank goodness she has to be in bed by 11. _Temari fiddle with the small cup.

"So, it's really a bad one tonight?" Temari asked from the kitchen into the living room across the hall.

"Yeah, the power may go out. It's a pretty average storm warning though." Ino responded. "You are staying, aren't you? Surely you wont leave at 3:30 am durning a thunder storm."

"W-Well I'm not sure yet." Temari put the bottle back into the cupboard.

"The guest room is just down the hall from my room." Ino looked up as Temari entered the room. "Surely you'll stay, I mean, you have to. You'll catch death out there."

There was a dullness in Ino's eyes for a moment, and Temari knew exactly what she was thinking.

_If I died, you'd have him to yourself. That's what you're thinking. Send me out there and your problems all die in the thunder storm and ice cold rain. _Temari felt a glare coming on, but only for an instant.

"Drink up." Temari handed her the foul smelling substance.

"Blech. I hate this stuff." Ino handed the empty cup back to her. "Thanks though."

"You're welcome." Temari turned to take the cup back to the sink to wash it out, seeing how it needed to be used one last time.

"Te-Temari?" Ino's voice sounded a little strange.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, for the water bag. It, it really helps." There was a pause. "D-do you think-"

Temari cut her off.

"Yes, I'll fill it up for you again with hot water for your sleep, Ino." Temari walked into the kitchen and cleaned the cup.

When she returned, Ino was turning off the T.V and yawning.

"I hope you don't mind me heading to bed a bit early, with the thunder storm on its way I should try to fall asleep before it hits or I'll never get rest." Ino struggled to her feet.

"Of course, let me help." She supported Ino again, and together they made their way back up the stairs and into Ino's room.

Ino sat on her bed with a flop, tired from the short trip up the stairs.

"I can't wait to get my strength back." She muttered rolling under the covers.

"Yes, hopefully soon." Temari waited for her to get settled. "I'll go fill up that bag."

"Thanks."

Temari headed down stairs, relieved that this nightmare was almost over.

_Nightmare? What am I saying? I'm only making it seem that way because I can't get over the past... has she? _

Temari couldn't help wondering that as she empty and then refilled the bag. She jumped as a loud crack of thunder rolled onto the Leaf village.

Closing the bag, she headed back up the stairs.

"Do you need anything else?" Temari asked hanging her the bag.

"No, thanks..." Something about the tone of her voice made Temari think other wise.

"You sure?"

"...Temari... tell me... is it true?" Ino rolled over and looked at her.

"What?" Temari felt her heart skip a beat. "Is what true?"

"Don't play dumb, you know what I mean." Ino's eyes became dull. "Everyone from both villages have to be talking about the different village couple scandal involving the Kazekages sister."

Temari felt her heart sink.

_So here too hu..._

"I heard your brother Kankuro dismiss it as a rumor. He doesn't know, does he? Then again, maybe there's nothing to know, but that's what I'm asking. Is it true?" She asked with monotone and dullness.

Temari began to look for words to say, but she didn't have to.

"Don't. You're face says it all." Ino sighed, her dull stare now turning to a glare sparked with anger and jealousy. "I should have know, all the signs were there. but I just didn't want to believe... I guess I just wanted to believe it would be me and him in the long run if me and Sasuke never worked out."

Temari's face felt a familiar burn.

"I was so stupid not to see before, but I guess I was in denial. It all adds up, now that I look at it." Ino laughed, but it was more of an angry and painful laugh. "The trips to Suna, the odd behavior when ever someone else, including me tried to hit on him or flirt with him. The way he began to zone out more often, even then, that was on his mind. With you too, it's as clear as glass to see that he's on your mind too. Don't think I don't notice."

Temari felt her breaths grow short. This is what she was afraid of.

"Even now, for god sakes. He smells of your perfume, I saw him this morning and you smell of cigarettes now even though I know for a fact you don't smoke." Ino's stare was ice cold. "You love him, don't you?"

Temari reached over and grabbed the door knob. Eger to dismiss the topic and send her to bed, this had gone to far already.

"It's fine." Ino turned onto her back. "He loves you too, I can see it in his eyes."

Temari felt like she was about to hit the floor, the thunder slamming outside the house was probably the only reason she was staying conscious.

"I can tell... it's the same look he gave you after the exams, when I saw you two on top of the roof. I was there for a while, watching. I didn't say anything because I wanted to hear what you had to say." Ino's eyes were fixed on the roof as she remembered. "It was the same look he gave you when he held your face in his hands, a look of longing and fire like love. I would do anything to break that, even now I would break what you both share."

Temari found that hard to hear, even though she knew it all along.

"I know." She finally found the strength to speak. "I know you would. But I won't let you."

"Oh?" Ino looked over at her. "Is that so?"

"I won't let you come between us." Temari felt her heart thud harder with every word.

Ino's eyes widened a little, realizing those where her own words, now twisted on her.

"Shikamaru, h-he's my everything. I won't let you take that away, Ino. If it was a fight for his heart, then I'm sorry. You've lost. His heart belongs to me now." Temari shuddered at finally coming to terms with this. "try what you will, but it won't stop me from being with him."

Ino turned away, making a face much like when she had to take her medicine. Bitter.

"He may be your childhood friend, but he is my love now. No amount of friendship will change that." With those last words still ringing in Ino's bedroom, Temari turned and hurried down the stairs.

She rushed into the kitchen, snatching a timer from on top of the over and setting the time, then poured the last dose of medication into the cup and brought it upstairs.

"Here." Temari returned into Ino's room and set the timer and the medicine on the counter. "You can tell Sakura I went home."

Ino looked at the clock and medication with a look of bitterness, but when she looked at Temari it was a new concept of hate.

"I'll borrow the spare key from the downstairs drawer and lock the door behind me after I show myself out. I'll give it to Sakura in the morning to return it to you." Temari folded her arms. "So, thank you for inviting me into your home, drink your medicine and get lots of sleep despite the storm."

With that, Temari nodded as into turned her back to her. The back of her blond head showed no signs of saying goodbye.

Temari walked out into the hall, grabbing the door knob and pulling the door closed. It was nearly shut when a quiet, but smooth voice slipped through the crack.

"He must see you often with your hair down, now."

It made Temari pause, but only slightly before she shut the door and walked down stairs for the last time. She grabbed her bag and locked the door behind her, pulling her back pack over her head to shield her from the big cold raindrops that hissed down from the sky.

Lightning and thunder cracked as she walked along the stone pathway back to her hotel, but it was better then staying at Ino's house.

"Temari!" A voice in the distance called, she prayed it wasn't Ino coming after her with a knife.

Temari squinted through the rain to see the out line of some one a ways away holding an umbrella.

"Hello?"

"Temari!"

The person came closer and closer until Temari no longer felt rain on her shoulders.

"Temari! I thought that was you. What are you doing out in a storm like this?" Shikamaru handed her the umbrella and took off his jacket. "Are you crazy? You'll have me worried sick!" He wrapped the coat around her and tilted his head surprised. "Temari, are you crying?"

"What, no." Temari lied, her voice strained. "its rain you idiot."

"I know the difference." He said softly taking her under his arm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, its a long story." Temari pressed closer to him, feeling his warmth. "What are you doing out here?"

"On my way home. Was staying late to help out around the main office. My mom's been blowing up my phone this whole time." He laughed.

Temari put her head on his chest. "Tell her you're staying at a friends."

"What?" Shikamaru looked at her confused.

"I have a hotel room in the small hotel not too far from here." Temari winked at him.

The clueless boy still looked lost.

"Y-You.. Uhm..What?" Shikamaru was still dazed.

Not knowing any better way to explain it, Temari leaned in close to his ear and whispered;

"_I'll let you take my hair down._"

XXXXXX

Psh. Not to bad for a 6 am one day story.

I'm actually happy with this story, I love how it turned out.

Hope you like it too.

Please write a review and let me know what you think!

Cute, cheesy, yay, nay?

Basic junk;

(Story line)

So Ino is hurt/sick with something and needs someone to look after her while her parents are on vacation and her friends are out on missions so when Temari arrived in the Leaf village Sakura asks her to watch over Ino. She does but it's awkward between the two because of the fact they both have feelings for Shikamaru, but little does anyone know Temari and Shikamaru have been together for a while now, and yeah. Run on sentence.

*Fun fact

The hot water in a zip lock bag thing wrapped up in a tea towel really does help with lady cramps and stuff.

You're welcome.

Wow wow. Look at me. Longest story yet. Pat on back for me/

-BloodUnderBark

Ignore this*

Words: 3865

Code: 1F

Stat: C


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